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Should e-cigarette sales be banned for people under 18?

The Food and Drug Administration today announced new regulations on the booming e-cigarette business. The proposed regulations call for a ban on sales of the electronic cigarettes to customers under the age of 18. The FDA’s recommendations will not be finalized until after a 75-day period of public comment. The new regulations would also require health warnings about the potential for addiction to nicotine. Under the proposal, manufacturers would have to report ingredients used in e-cigarettes to the FDA and seek the agency’s approval for products.

The regulations will not ban advertising or flavors like chocolate and bubble gum, which would appeal to children. The FDA said the current proposal lays the foundation for “many more actions” to come in restricting the use and marketing of e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered and produce a nicotine vapor. Sales of e-cigarettes and similar vapor devices generate an estimated $2 billion dollars in annual sales in the United States alone. Some analysts have said the business is growing so quickly that it could soon compete with the traditional tobacco industry. Advocates claim the vapor products are safer than traditional tobacco. So far, there is little data on long-term effects of vapor products.